The Diamond Team's Mock Presidential Election

Content Options

WInners of Brian Neal's Diamond team mock presidential election. Members of the New DiWrecktion Party were Emily Dilger, VIce President, Rebecca Greenberg President and Julia Loewen Accountant.

SPARTA, NJ- Diamond team history teacher Brian Neal had a unique project for his students to gain a better understanding of the election process as they finished up a unit of study of the Executive Branch of United States government.

Neal's seventh grade Civics students from each of his classes ran election campaigns. The Mock Presidential Election Project included debates, advertisements, speeches and the responsibility of managing a campaign budget. The assignment required that each of the candidates develop a campaign platform based on actual school related issues.

The campaign budget was determined by a roll of the dice, multiplying the number on the dice by 1000. Students had to develop a budget and maintain an Account Tracking Sheet. Every part of the campaign had to be approved by Neal in advance or risk losing financing.

Each of the candidates' campaigns had a Presidential nominee who also served as speech writer. There was a Vice Presidential nominee serving as the campaign manager as well. There was an accountant for each campaign. The rest of the group was the advertising staff working to promote the candidates, including creating the campaign slogan. All of the members of the campaign had to work closely together toward the goal of getting their candidates elected.

The campaign began on March 31 culminating with the election. The ballots were cast on April 9. While Neal asserts, "the election is more about the process," a winning team was elected. That winning team was the New DiWrecktion Party with President Rebecca Greenberg, Emily Dilger, Vice President and Julia Loewen having served as the campaign accountant.

Neal summed it up, "The kids are very excited and more interested than I have ever seen them." Making Civics relevant to 12 and 13 year old seventh graders can be a challenge and is the rationale behind the project. For the next unit on the Judicial branch of government Neal's students will participate in a mock trail "The Murder of Humpty Dumpty."

SPARTA, NJ – A Newton man caught the attention of Sparta Cpl Rubino when he drove passed him on West Shore Trail with a broken license plate light. Alexis Obolensky was stopped in his gold Subaru on February 15 around 7:45 p.m., police report.

When the officer was stopping the 28-year-old driver he saw him flick a cigarette out the window. As Rubino spoke with him he smelled ...

SPARTA, NJ – Sparta High School wrestling will be on the mat in the District 3 tournament on Saturday at Don Bosco. The top three finishers in the tournament will move on to the regional tournament next week.

SPARTA, NJ – Families turned out to Sparta Middle School on Saturday for the Winter Festival offered by the Sparta Recreation Committee and the Sparta Kiwanis. Between 550 and 600 people attended, Sparta Township Manager Bill Close reported at the township council meeting on Tuesday.

Children of all ages played carnival games, had face painting and crafts, bounce house and obstacle ...

SPARTA,NJ – Several people with active warrants were picked up by Sparta Police this week. On February 12 around noon, Sparta Police Officer Christopher Favaro stopped Newark resident Alex Nunes-Ramalho, 23, for broken break lights on his gold Chevy Impala.

Nunes-Ramalho told Favaro that he did not have his wallet with him. Instead, the driver showed the officer a ...

WATCHUNG, NJ - Recently, Troop 95 from Sparta competed in the Watchung District Klondike. A Klondike is a competition in which Boy Scout patrols compete in fire building, wilderness survival, first-aid, tomahawk throwing, knots & lashings and orienteering, all while pushing a sled filled with 100 pounds of the gear needed for the challenges.

SPARTA, NJ – A Newton man caught the attention of Sparta Cpl Rubino when he drove passed him on West Shore Trail with a broken license plate light. Alexis Obolensky was stopped in his gold Subaru on February 15 around 7:45 p.m., police report.

When the officer was stopping the 28-year-old driver he saw him flick a cigarette out the window. As Rubino spoke with him he smelled ...

SPARTA,NJ – Several people with active warrants were picked up by Sparta Police this week. On February 12 around noon, Sparta Police Officer Christopher Favaro stopped Newark resident Alex Nunes-Ramalho, 23, for broken break lights on his gold Chevy Impala.

Nunes-Ramalho told Favaro that he did not have his wallet with him. Instead, the driver showed the officer a ...

NEWTON, NJ—One man was injured, while three others escaped unharmed when a two-family two story apartment house caught fire on Saturday. On January 27 at around 6:26 a.m. Newton Police received a 9-1-1 call from a passerby reporting a house on fire. Patrols immediately responded to the area and found a structure fire at 75 Trinity Street police report..

PATERSON, NJ- The City of Paterson has given birth to famous athletes, business leaders, actors, and now, a poet laureate.

Born and raised in Paterson, Talena Lachelle Queen told TAPinto Paterson that she has been writing since she was five-years old, and, as she grew older, realized that when it came to pursuing studies and a career in writing, she “didn’t have a choice.” ...

The tragedy of the Florida school shooting is devastating, leaving 17 killed and 15 injured. Our children can easily identify with what occurred yesterday. It will be the topic of conversation today in schools everywhere. School administrators are doing all they can to provide support and guidance. The shootings affect children, teachers, and school personnel. The school shooting ...

According to the National Association of REALTORS most recent Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers, married couples once again dominated the first-time homebuyer statistics in 2017 at 57% of all buyers. Team Nest Builder knows it's no surprise that having two incomes to save for down payments and contribute to monthly housing costs makes buying a home more ...

Researchers in China studying the consumption of “burning” hot tea, alcohol, and smoking habits of greater than 450,000 people ages 30 –79 for more than nine years found a five time greater risk of esophageal cancer in those who engaged in all three of the behaviors and a two time greater risk in those who either smoked or drank alcohol and consumed burning hot tea as compared ...

Breaking Atlantic Health System news on this week’s AtlantiCast! Plus, find out why Morristown Medical Center is one of the best hospitals in the nation when it comes to recovering from joint surgery, see the newest center for fighting brain cancer and an Atlantic Health System red-carpet premiere!